Information processing apparatus and method, and computer readable memory

Abstract

An application IF layer interprets and processes manipulations of an application program. A database IF layer interprets and processes manipulations common to a plurality of types of databases. Individual database manipulation implementation embedded in the database IF layer executes processes unique to databases for each of the plurality of types of databases.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An information processing apparatus for processing a database that manages data, comprising: 
 a plurality of types of databases for storing the data;    application interface interpretation processing means for interpreting and processing manipulations between said plurality of types of databases and an application program;    database interface interpretation processing means for interpreting and processing manipulations common to said plurality of types of databases; and    a plurality of individual database processing means for executing a processes unique to each database for each of said plurality of types of databases.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said application interface interpretation processing means converts information to be processed into information that said database interface interpretation processing means can interpret, and into information that the application program can refer to.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein said application interface interpretation processing means converts an application object to be referred to by the application program and a database object to be stored in the database from one another.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said database interface interpretation processing means selectively uses an appropriate one of said plurality of individual database processing means.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein each of said plurality of individual database processing means is implemented by expanding an interface provided by said database interface interpretation processing means.  
     
     
         6 . An information processing method for processing a database that manages data, comprising: 
 a holding step of holding a plurality of types of databases for storing the data;    an application interface interpretation processing step of interpreting and processing manipulations between said plurality of types of databases and an application program;    a database interface interpretation processing step of interpreting and processing manipulations common to said plurality of types of databases; and    a plurality of individual database processing steps of executing a processes unique to each database for each of said plurality of types of databases.    
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the application interface interpretation processing step includes the step of converting information to be processed into information that said database interface interpretation processing step can interpret, and into information that the application program can refer to.  
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the application interface interpretation processing step includes the step of converting an application object to be referred to by the application program and a database object to be stored in the database from one another.  
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the database interface interpretation processing step includes the step of selectively using an appropriate one of the plurality of individual database processing steps.  
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein each of the plurality of individual database processing steps is implemented by expanding an interface provided by the database interface interpretation processing step.  
     
     
         11 . A computer readable memory that stores a program code of information processing for processing a database that manages data, comprising: 
 a program code of a holding step of holding a plurality of types of databases for storing the data;    a program code of an application interface interpretation processing step of interpreting and processing manipulations between said plurality of types of databases and an application program;    a program code of a database interface interpretation processing step of interpreting and processing manipulations common to said plurality of types of databases; and    program codes of a plurality of individual database processing steps of executing a processes unique to each database for each of said plurality of types of databases.    
     
     
         12 . An information processing apparatus for processing a database that manages data, comprising: 
 a database for storing the data;    database manipulation means for manipulating said database;    inter-device communication means for making communications between said information processing apparatus and a different device;    database remote manipulation means for controlling manipulations of said database from the different device via said inter-device communication means; and    database remote manipulation hiding means for hiding said database remote manipulation means by the same interface as database manipulation means of the same device.    
     
     
         13 . The apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein said database manipulation hiding means manipulates said database using said database remote manipulation means, and 
 said database remote manipulation means manipulates said database using the database manipulation means.    
     
     
         14 . An information processing apparatus for processing a database that manages data, comprising: 
 a database for storing the data;    database change notification means for notifying a change in database;    inter-device communication means for making communications between said information processing apparatus and a different device;    remote notification means for controlling notification of the change in database from the different device via said inter-device communication means; and    remote notification hiding means for hiding said remote notification means by the same interface as database change notification means of the same device.    
     
     
         15 . The apparatus according to  claim 14 , further comprising: 
 database manipulation means for manipulating said database, and    in that said database manipulation means notifies a notification destination of the change in database using said remote notification hiding means,    said remote notification hiding means notifies the notification destination of the change in database using said remote notification means, and    said remote notification means notifies the notification destination of the change in database using said database change notification means.    
     
     
         16 . The apparatus according to  claim 12  or  15 , further comprising: 
 database management means for managing a plurality of database manipulation means, and  
 in that said database management means manages only the database manipulation means that directly manipulates said database, and does not manage said database remote manipulation means and said database remote manipulation hiding means.  
 
     
     
         17 . An information processing method of an information processing apparatus for processing a database that manages data, comprising: 
 a database manipulation step of manipulating a database for storing the data;    a inter-device communication step of making communications between said information processing apparatus and a different device;    a database remote manipulation step of controlling manipulations of said database from the different device via the inter-device communication step; and    a database remote manipulation hiding step of hiding the database remote manipulation step by the same interface as the database manipulation step of the same device.    
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the database manipulation hiding step includes the step of manipulating said database using the database remote manipulation step, and 
 the database remote manipulation step includes the step of manipulating said database using the database manipulation step.    
     
     
         19 . An information processing method of an information processing apparatus for processing a database that manages data, comprising: 
 a database change notification step of notifying a change in database for storing the data;    an inter-device communication step of making communications between said information processing apparatus and a different device;    a remote notification step of controlling notification of the change in database from the different device via the inter-device communication step; and    a remote notification hiding step of hiding the remote notification step by the same interface as the database change notification step of the same device.    
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 19 , further comprising: 
 a database manipulation step of manipulating said database, and    in that the database manipulation step includes the step of notifying a notification destination of the change in database using the remote notification hiding step,    a remote notification hiding step includes the step of notifying the notification destination of the change in database using the remote notification step, and    a remote notification step includes the step of notifying the notification destination of the change in database using the database change notification step.    
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 17  or  20 , further comprising: 
 a database management step of managing the plurality of database manipulation steps in a storage medium, and  
 in that the database management step manages only the database manipulation step that directly manipulates said database, and does not manage the database remote manipulation step and the database remote manipulation hiding step.  
 
     
     
         22 . A computer readable memory that stores a program code of information processing of an information processing apparatus for processing a database that manages data, comprising: 
 a program code of a database manipulation step of manipulating a database for storing the data;    a program code of an inter-device communication step of making communications between said information processing apparatus and a different device;    a program code of a database remote manipulation step of controlling manipulations of said database from the different device via the inter-device communication step; and    a program code of a database remote manipulation hiding step of hiding the database remote manipulation step by the same interface as the database manipulation step of the same device.    
     
     
         23 . A computer readable memory that stores a program code of information processing of an information processing apparatus for processing a database that manages data, comprising: 
 a program code of a database change notification step of notifying a change in database for storing the data;    a program code of an inter-device communication step of making communications between said information processing apparatus and a different device;    a program code of the remote notification step of controlling notification of the change in database from the different device via the inter-device communication step; and    a program code of a remote notification hiding step of hiding the remote notification step by the same interface as the database change notification step of the same device.